Method for the localizing of a transceiver of data packets

Abstract

The disclosure pertains to the localization of a station by another station in a network for the transmission of data in packets, each packet being formed by a header followed by an information field at a carrier frequency that varies according to a linear ramp. The method consists, in a first station, in sending out an interrogation packet with a designation of a second station, in the second station, upon the reception of this interrogation packet, in sending a signal in continuity with the field of the packet received and according to the same ramp and, in the first station, in measuring the delay of this signal, when it is received, with respect to a signal produced in the first station after the field of the packet sent out and in deducing the distance between the two stations from the delay. Application to the measurement of distances.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for the localizing of a transceiver, this method being designed to measure the distances between the transceiver stations of a network in which the data elements are transmitted in packets, each packet comprising a header at a first carrier frequency followed by an information field at a second carrier frequency that varies according to a linear ramp, this method consisting successively, at a first of the stations, in sending an interrogation packet comprising the designation of a second of the stations, in the second of the stations, when the interrogation packet is received, in sending a response signal at a third carrier frequency that varies according to the linear ramp, in continuity with the second carrier frequency of the interrogation packet received and, in the first of the stations, when the response signal is received, in measuring the beat frequency between the second carrier frequency and third carrier frequency to deduce therefrom a value of the distance between the first of the stations and second of the stations. 
     
     
       2. A method according to claim 1 consisting of the synchronizing, in the second of the stations, of the response signal with only the header of the interrogation packet. 
     
     
       3. A method according to claim 1 consisting of the synchronizing, in the second of the stations, of the response signal with the header and then with the field of the interrogation packet. 
     
     
       4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the designation of the second of the stations is an information element recorded in the header of the interrogation packet. 
     
     
       5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the designation of the second of the stations is an information element recorded at the beginning of the field of the interrogation packet.